Looking for a fun road trip taking you from Chicago, Illinois up to Minneapolis, Minnesota on I-94? I’ve got you covered on this 8-hour road trip covering 3 states! Break up the trip and stop along the way to enjoy these amazing road trip destinations along the route! You’re going to love this plan for family memories that involves thrill rides, a pink elephant, historic sites and Jelly Bellies!

Hobbies on a Budget received tickets or discounts for some of these attractions. Amazon affiliate links are also included in this post which means that if you make a purchase, I will receive a payment.

Road Trip from Chicago to Minneapolis

Traveling from Chicago to Minneapolis would take you approximately 8 hours if you drove straight. But let’s face it…. No one wants to do a road trip like that. There’s too many things to see and excperence between point A and point B when you take a road trip that I plan. And of course, there is so much more to experience between Chicago and Minneapolis. This is just a starting place! I can’t wait to see the other things that you find along the route!

Chicago

Kick off your trip in Chicago with an amazing view of the city from the top of Willis Tower SkyDeck.

• Walk down through Millennium Park and enjoy the Cloud Gate Sculpture.
• Enjoy the gorgeous view of Lake Michigan.
• Spend some time at Shedd Aquarium.

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Jelly Belly Warehouse Tour

Drive about one hour to the Jelly Belly Warehouse in Pleasant Prairie, Wisconsin for the FREE tour.

Pink Elephant

Hop on the road and drive about 1 hour and 45 minutes to your next stretch break where you can get gas and snacks and some great photos at the historic Pink Elephant in DeForest, WI!

Wisconsin Dells

From the pink elephant, you’re less than an hour from the Original Wisconsin Duck Tours where you can splashdown into the Wisconsin River and enjoy the scenic Wisconsin Dells!

Then stay at the Wilderness Resort and enjoy the waterparks and fun family activities!

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Paul Bunyan Logging Camp Museum

Depending on when you take this road trip, you can tour the Paul Bunyan Logging Camp Museum!

Ellsworth Creamery Coop

Of course, no visit to Wisconsin is complete without some fresh cheese curds. Stop by Ellsworth Creamery Cooperative and buy the original flavors or specialty cheese curds!

Minnehaha Falls

Spend some time exploring and enjoying Minnehaha Falls in Minneapolis.

Minneapolis is a beautiful city with many places to explore. Check out this list of 5 Reasons Minneapolis Needs to be your next destination!

Mall of America

End your road trip at the Mall of America where you can make memories at Nickelodean Universe, SEA Life Aquarium and Moose Mountain Mini Golf!

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There’s no better place to spend a hot summer weekend than at Wilderness Resort in Wisconsin Dells or at the Mall of America making memories with your family and friends!

Enjoy your road trip! I’d love to hear the places you like to stop in between these two anchor cities in the Midwest!